ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT: The 21st Century will confront OECD countries with a panoply of major threats, some of them quite unprecedented in potential scale and cost. These range from “mega-terrorism” and new infectious diseases, to the destruction by earthquake of entire cities. Preparing for such massive catastrophes involves highly complex planning and co-ordination not only across government, but also between government and industry, and among governments. There is concern in many OECD countries that the capacity to cope with “mega-risks” is in some important respects inadequate. The OECD International Futures Programme is therefore conducting – on a voluntary basis – reviews of Member countries’ risk management systems with a view to examining their effectiveness and providing guidance on possible improvements.
